Scary but Yours
by myeshaelaine
Summary: This is a story about how Primrose Everdeen, picked to be in the Hunger Games, decides to be brave and go into the Games instead of her older sister, Katniss. Along the way, she falls in love with Cato, the huge, dangerous boy from District 2. She knows it is forbidden, but she can't help her emotions. Will he fall for her too? Find out in this entertaining love story.
1. The Reaping

Scary, but Yours.

I look through the crowd at the 74th Hunger Games reaping ceremony. Katniss told me before the reaping that most likely, I won't be picked for the games, but I'm not sure. I have faith in her, but I still doubt that I will not be picked.

I will not be able to survive the games. I am super skinny, 13 years old, and pale skinned. I have rosy cheeks, light blond hair that hangs down my back, and a small, shy smile. A person not even twice my size could kill me in an instant.

The only thing I'm capable of is healing. My mother taught me everything I know since she is one. Whenever someone would come to our home for help healing a family member or a friend, we would get right to work. I loved helping out because it made me feel happy that I could heal someone. We didn't always heal everyone, but it was fun trying.

Before the reaping, I look around to see Katniss in the 16-year-old group. She mouths a little "quack" at me and smiles. I think back at how she basically took care of me when my father died in a coal mining explosion. I was really young, but I still remember the conversations my mother and Katniss had.

"MOM! PLEASE LISTEN TO ME! MOM PLEAAASE!" Katniss would yell at her.

"I'm alright Katniss, I'm fine. Now go on and get ready for dinner."

Katniss stared at her for a second before she got up and went to get ready for dinner.

My mother came and picked me up, tickled me, and whispered "I love you" in my ear before she put me down, picked up a bag, and walked out the front door. I didn't know what was going on, but when Katniss came back into the room and saw that mother was gone she knew something bad was happening.

_My mother left us alone._

She came back 2 weeks later, and ever since then Katniss never trusted my mother again. Katniss was the one that went out to hunt for food to trade and bring home for us to eat. She made sure our family was well even though that was my mother's job.

I find my mother in the crowd, and spot her in the back with the parents with a horrified look on her face. It would kill her if one of us was chosen to be in the Games.

As the reaping gets started, Effie Trinket, a perky, weirdly dressed woman comes onto the stage.

"Happy 74th Hunger Games, and may the odds be ever in your favor," she says with a high pitched voice.

_Yeah right_, I think.

"Now, ladies first!"

I wait in fear for her to call the name on that tiny slip of paper.

"Ahem," she clears her throat. "Primrose Everdeen!"

I cower in fear, but swallow it and slowly make my way to the stage, watching the eyes that watch me as I walk.

"NOOOOOO!" I hear coming from the crowd, and then I see Katniss running through her group. "No! Please, I volunteer as tribute!"

I think about the consequences with Katniss leaving for the games. My mother and I will starve if Katniss was gone. The last time someone left, my dad, my mom disappeared for days and Katniss had to take care of us. She provided food for us, and was basically more of a mom to me than my mom actually is.

_I have to do this. They would be better off without me._

"NO KATNISS!" I scream at the top of my lungs. "NO! Let me do this. PLEASE." I plead with her to let me go. She doesn't understand, but I do.

I see Gale, Katniss's best friend coming from behind her and pulling her away from my grasp.

"Go one little Rose, you go one up there," Gale says to me. I hug him before I slowly start to make my way up the stage.

"Well, that was VERY interesting! However, we must keep the show going on! Come, come honey." Effie screeches from behind me.

As I walk up to the stage, I can literally feel every eye on me.

Once I look around again, I see my mother falling to the floor, crying in hysterics.

_Mom, it's okay. I'm going to be fine._

"Now for the boys!" complete silence. I hope that it's not Gale.

_Please don't be Gale. Katniss would not live._

"Ahem.."

"Peeta Mellark!" I gasp silently. Peeta, I saw him every day at school; Katniss and I walked passed his staring eyes after school was over.

As he walks up to the stage, we meet eyes, but then quickly look away. Katniss told me about him once. He was the one that gave us the bread when I was little.

Peeta was a strong boy, with muscles pointing out of his shirt. He had bright blue eyes, almost like mine, and golden blond hair and eyebrows. He seemed like the silent type, but I wasn't sure. He had big hands and was maybe twice my size. He worked at the bakery with his mother, father, and brothers. Whenever I would pass by, I would see him through the window where all the yummy looking cakes and pies were displayed. His father seemed like a gentle soul, while his mother seemed like an evil and horrible person. Then I look at his size.

_Example number one. All he would have to do is pick me up and throw me and I'm a goner. _

"Shake hands, you two!" We shake hands. My small, fragile hand locks perfectly into his big, firm hands. "WELL! This is going to be the best games yet, I'm sure."

_Hah,_ _I bet everyone is going to love seeing me being slaughtered by even the tiniest tribute. _I giggle at the remark I made in my head, but quickly stop before anyone hears me.

"Well, thank you all for such the most EXCITING reaping yet!" Effie says with a huge smile on her face.

Effie pushes us off to the back of the stage, literally, and walks us both to separate rooms. Mine is small with comfortable furniture; none like I've ever had before.

"Wait here, darling," Effie says in her Capitol high-pitched voice.

I waited about five minutes before my mother, Katniss, and Gale burst through the door, and I'm mushed between all three.

"Try to win!"

"Run fast."

"Find the weapon you're most suited with."

"Guys, guys! I'll be fine. Please, just let me go because I can't breathe!" They finally let me go, and I comfort them and tell them I'll be fine.

"Mom, it's okay. You don't have to cry and be sad. I will be fine," I reassure her, even though I know that I won't.

Katniss just looks at me and cries.

"You're my baby sister. I don't want you to go! I have to go for you. It's my responsibility to keep you safe and I need to do that!" Katniss cries out.

"Katniss, no. You've kept me safe and protected me all my life, and now it's time for me to do the same for you! I have to, you deserve it," I say, trying to hold back the tears that eventually come pouring out.

"You can do it little Rose," Gale says. "I know you can. A lot of people, and even you, might not think you can, but I think you've got it down inside of you. Something needs to just bring it all out."

We all cry and hug in silence before guards come in and rip them away.

"I love you guys!" is the last thing I get to say before the doors slam and I'm left alone.

Then Effie is back and is escorting us to the train.

I look out the window as my life, friends, and family are all taken away from me in just one hour.

_It's time to leave them all behind._


	2. The Train

The Train

Once we get onto the train, Effie directs Peeta and me to our rooms. When we arrive first at Peeta's room, I get a glimpse of it. There was a medium sized window on the left side of the wall with an orange curtain hanging from it. I saw a huge bed as well with a big sign above it that read "Peeta" in curly, black and white letters. My eyes widened at the sight. I wanted a picture like that too.

Peeta bid his farewell to me before we saw each other again for dinner, and before I knew it, Effie was pushing me, AGAIN, down the hall to a big brown door. When she opened the door, I was amazed.

My room is huge, almost as big as the house my mother, Katniss, and me had back home. It is painted a soft green color with a big bed that had matching sheets. On the side was a dresser that I assumed was full of clothes, since I didn't bring any with me. There was a huge white rug in the middle of the room and a bunch of buttons next to the bed that I had no idea how to use. And in the last corner to the right was my personal bathroom. When I saw it, I jumped with glee. I had never had anything to myself before, especially not a full bathroom. I was so happy and pleased with my room, and then I realized why I got the room in the first place.

_Well, now I feel stupid, _I thought to myself.

They were just pampering us to make us feel special before we were killed.

"Alright darling, dinner starts in an hour so be there," Effie says to me. "You can do whatever you want before then! Ta-ta!" And with that, she left me alone.

I decided to take a shower to try to wash off all the memories of the past hour.

I was chosen for the Hunger Games. I chose to go instead of Katniss volunteering for me, I'm here with a boy who saved my family's life and I can't do anything to repay him, especially save his life. My family and friend were ripped out of my arms, literally, and now I'm on a train getting ready to die at the hands of another kid.

_I wonder how they're gonna kill me, _I think. _Maybe cut my throat, hit me across the head with a rock, stab me._

I stop thinking about those things because it makes me sick, and get in the shower. There are so many soaps, fragrances, shampoos, and a lot more that I can't even decide what to use. I settle with the rose shampoo, body wash, and fragrance because my name has the word rose in it.

After I get out the shower, I dress in a plain white short and blue shorts I find in the drawer and slip on some comfy white shoes, and walk out for dinner.

When I get there I see Peeta and Effie, and that's it.

_Where's Haymitch? Oh whatever, he probably doesn't care about our lives much anyway since he's drunk all the time._

I laugh out loud only to see two pairs of eyes staring back at me.

"What?" I ask them, even though I know why they are staring.

"Nothing." Effie says with a strange look on her face. "Well, since your _spectacular _mentor won't bother to show up, I bid you both goodnight. See you in the morning!"

I sit down while Peeta is still staring at me. "_What?"_

"Nothing, you're just really cute." He says. "Um, you hungry?"

"Yes, I'm _STARVED_!" I laugh at that little joke I made along with Peeta.

Tonight, they are serving a pink soup with little raisins floating in it. There's also chicken in shapes of chickens with a bright orange gravy over it. They served a dark red drink that almost looked like blood, but actually tasted marvelous. There was cakes and pies, and all the luxury. Back home, Peeta's father owned the bakery, so I assumed he was used to all the cakes and things, but I only got them on very special occasions.

"So how do you like your room?" He asks me.

"I love it!" I blurt out way to loudly. "Oh, sorry," I blush. "I love it. It's way better than what I had at home. Maybe not for you though."

"What do you mean?" He asks.

"Oh, um, it's just that since your family owns a bakery, I j-just thought," I stammer. "I just thought you were…..r-r-rich."

He lets out a soft laugh. "No, we don't even get to eat the things we bake. We eat any of the old or burnt stuff."

I feel so bad for even bringing it up. "I'm so s-sorry."

"It's okay. We do eat the squirrels your sister catches. They're really good. She's amazing at hunting." He smiles.

"Yeah, I love her so much. I really miss her too. I wish I could see her one more time."

"Me too," he says, but barely in a whisper.

_What is it with him and my sister?_

I try to find a way to talk about my sister and him at the same time to see if something is going on, and then I find the perfect idea.

"So P-Peeta," I stammer out, "I know you were the guy that gave us the bread when we were practically dying when I was younger. Katniss told me about it."

He smiles a small smile when I mention Katniss's name. "Yeah, I don't really like to talk about it much."

"Well," I swallow for what I'm about to do, "I-I-I, um, I don't really know how to thank you and this is the only thing that I can think of. So here it goes."

With that, I lean over as quickly as I can and kiss him on the cheek lightly. He blushes a bright red, just as I know my cheeks are because I can feel them burning.

"Thanks, but I love your sister," is the last thing he gets out before he erupts out of the room.

"Wait Peeta! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to!" I yell back at him, but he doesn't listen. I can hear the door to his room slam.

Thoughts engulf my mind as I sit at the table in silence.

_Why did I do that? I feel so stupid! And he loves KATNISS? Oh my gosh, what did I do! Does he think that I like him? Does Katniss like him too? She must not, she's not that kind of person. But maybe she is…_

"Oh darling, I didn't think I would see you there." She takes a good look at my face. "Are you alright?"

"Oh, u-u-um y-yes. I'm f-f-fine." I quickly get out of the seat.

I scurry out of the room, embarrassed to the moon and stay in my room for the rest of the night.

That night I had a dream about a huge blurred figure standing over me with a knife in his hand, getting ready to slice me up. I wake up and it's more.

_Here goes another day of misery._


	3. The Recap

_Cato- the Reaping_

A day after we get on the train, me, Clove, and the rest of the team sit down to watch the recaps of the reaping, and I laugh at the sort of competition we have. There is nothing but little scared looking kids on every team. A scrawny kid in District 1, where I can snap his neck in a minute. There's a sly looking girl with fiery red hair from 5, and she might be harder to catch because she looks sneaky. The list goes on and on, but there is one sort of competition. The huge boy from District 11. He's stocky, tall, and built, but that doesn't mean that I can't take him down.

I can take anyone down, because I'm a fighter, always have been one and always will be one. And with the careers by my side, Districts 1, 2, and 4, the Games will be a piece of cake. After we kill everyone off, all I have to do is kill the careers and I'm done. Easy as that.

Anyway, the guy from 11 has a puny little girl in his district that is way too easy to get. I don't even have to think about her to get her.

However, then comes District 12, and I see the most adorable girl ever. Her cheeks are the rosiest pink I have ever seen. She has huge, bright blue eyes, small heart-shaped lips, and long strawberry blond hair.

_She's mine. _

"Ha, this is going to be a piece of cake. I'm gonna get that girl, Cato, and I'm gonna make sure I have fun with her. So make it clear that I have permanent dibs." Clove says way too loud."

"NO! She is MINE!" I hiss at her, already annoyed of her presence.

"Geez, sorry there. I see someone has a special liking towards the pipsqueak. Hahaha," Clove laughs at the 'joke' she thinks she's made.

"Shut up, Clove," I warn her.

"What are you going to do, _kill me?_" And at that moment, I want to, but I think about it and try something else.

Then my fist lands hard into her nose.

"OW! Man, Cato, I was just joking! You didn't have to take it so seriously!"

"I told you to shut up." With that, I get up and walk to my room.

_That girl was beautiful, and __I'm__ going to get her, because I always get what I want. _

I know she won't want to be with me; heck, she might even be too scared to even glance in my direction.

I'm 6 feet tall, with red-orangey hair, muscles all over, and I have the ability to hospitalize someone in 5 seconds using only my hands.

_This is going to be a piece of cake._

And I know it will be.

_Prim- the Reaping_

Once I wake up the next morning, I feel so horrible about what happened between Peeta and me, and I dread seeing him because I'm so scared about what's going to happen. I was debating whether or not I should just eat breakfast in my room when Effie comes to my door demanding that I come to breakfast to do a recap of the reaping yesterday.

_Well there goes that._

I take my time brushing my teeth, taking a shower and changing my clothes so that I can avoid the Peeta situation for as long as possible. But my long was way too long because Effie comes back to the door demanding that I come to breakfast.

I slowly open the door and drag my feet to the dining area, where sitting at the table is Peeta, Effie, and hung-over Haymitch. He's sitting at the table spreading butter onto some toast. Effie is drinking something brown and is reading a Capitol paper. Peeta is eating eggs and toast and is drinking orange juice.

_Oh. Orange juice is such a delicacy in my District._

I sit down next to Effie, trying to avoid Peeta as much as possible, but it doesn't take long, because Haymitch starts talking.

"So who do we have here?" he says in a long slur. "Peter and Rosie. Stupid names, I'll say."

"It's Peeta," Peeta says with a bit of an edge in his voice.

"And it's Primrose," I say barely in a whisper.

"YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO SPEAK UP!" he yells at me.

"Primrose," I say, a little bit louder, although he really scares me. At the reaping he basically fell off the stage. He surely does drink too much.

"Oh well then, you're a little adorable one aren't ya?" he asks me. I don't reply. "You'll be picked off in an instant."

"Haymitch you didn't have to say that to her. You're just going to scare her even more." Peeta says to defend me. I look up at him but he is staring at his food, trying to avoid me I bet.

"Oh I'm sorry, did I hurt your feelings?" Haymitch says to us both. "Ha, oh well. You're going to be hurting even more in a week."

As soon as he says that, Peeta jumps up and punches Haymitch in the face and he falls right on the floor, but he jumps right back up and punches Peeta right back in the face, but you can hear the impact he makes to Peeta's face. Peeta falls on the floor and I instantly go to him to try to heal his face.

"Oh my gosh, are you okay?" I ask him, holding his head. "Okay we just need to get you up and put some ice on your face, and then I can make a remedy my mom taught me to take down the swel-"

"Rose, I'm fine. It's okay. All I need is ice, but thanks for trying to help anyway."

"Ahhhh, I see we have one fighter here, but what about the other one?" Haymitch asks, but I don't tell him what I'm capable of because of what he did to Peeta.

"She's a healer." Peeta answers. "One time a friend of mine had to go to her and her mom because he cut open his leg, and they worked magic on him. He was better in a matter of days."

"Oh really? Well, where's that going to get you in the Games? Peeta here is a fighter, so hand-to-hand combat won't be hard for him. So what can you do other than healing?" Haymitch asks.

I try and come up with an answer, but Effie interrupts my thoughts.

"Time to watch the reaping!" She squeaks out.

_Thank goodness._

We sit in a room with a huge television on the wall that is amazing. There's a big comfy couch in the center, and we all sit in it. I get some ice for Peeta's face, and he smiles in thanks. I sit down next to him and watch the reaping.

The kids that were chosen look really fit, and they look like they were born to kill, especially Districts 1, 2, and 4, and from those 3 Districts, I single out one. His name is Cato and he's from District 2. The first thing I notice are the muscles coming out of his shirt. They are really HUGE. The second thing I notice is the hard look on his face. He looks as if he's seen and killed a lot of people before, and he isn't afraid to do it again. But most of all, I look at how handsome he is. Gray-Blue eyes that are hard, but somewhere deep inside have a soft glow in them. He's tall and stocky and I imagine them wrapping me into his arms and never letting me go, and I long for it.

We go through the rest of the reaping, but the only thing I think about is Cato. I don't know why I got such a liking for him, but it just happened.

I do notice, though, a girl about the same age as me, and we can be friends. Her name is Rue, and she has dark skin, dark eyes, and dark hair. And she seems really shy. We could be good friends.

After the reaping we all go to our rooms in silence. I dream about Cato. We're in the Games, and he's running after me. He finally catches me and pins me to the ground. He pulls out a knife and points it at my throat and then he-

And then I wake up.


	4. The Capitol Pt1

The Capitol

We were eating lunch when we arrived at the Capitol, and when Effie said we were arriving Peeta and I immediately ran to the window in the dining hall to get a look. This city is something like I've never seen before. I mean, I've seen it on the small television we have at home when Katniss, my mom, and I are watching the required announcements they show. All of the buildings are weirdly shaped, and I do mean ALL of them. Some were shaped into stars, arcs, and some into shapes that I can't even imagine. There were a lot of people with way too much makeup and flashy clothes were yelling and waving at our train, cheering us on, I guess. I was really confused, but when I looked over at Peeta he was smiling and waving.

"They might be sponsors," he says.

Wow, maybe he's right! These people can help me survive. And so I dart waving back at them. I smile and try and seem nice and sweet so that I would appeal to them. And they celebrate and get even louder. They blow kisses and throw flowers at the windows. I pretend to catch them and I blow back kisses to them, and the crowd goes wild. They seem to like when we respond to them.

_Hmm, maybe that'll help._

After we pass through the crowds of Capitol people, we make a stop under a tunnel, and it's really dark. I feel Effie's hand surround my wrist as she pulls me through the darkness. I hear a huge slam and I guess it's a door, but I can't really tell.

"W-w-where are we going, Effie?" I ask.

"Your corridors! Now you are going to LOVE them!"

"That is if we are ever able to even see them." I hear Peeta say.

I giggle a little and then I hear him burst out a huge laugh. "A little laugh considering the situation we're in is good."

We finally find a light, and it's in a small, comfortable room that has two doors. Effie pushes a button, and the doors slide open with a small section on the inside. We step inside, and Effie pushes the number twelve and the section jolts and then moves up.

"What is this?" I ask.

"It's called an elevator. It's an alternative to stairs. Of course you wouldn't know, dear! Your district is so poor!"

But I do know what this is, even though I didn't know what it was called. One of these things is what my father was in right before he died. He was going down into the mines when the explosion happened.

"So, go ahead and get changed in your rooms. Take showers, and meet us in the dining hall for dinner and we will discuss some things. Alright?"

"Yes," Peeta and I say in unison.

"Well shoo!"

I walk into my room and immediately go for the shower.

I didn't get enough of these resources at home, so I may as well take advantage of it before I'm dead.

I shower and out on a plain white shirt and walk out of the room down the hall into the dining hall.

Tonight they're serving a pig with a weed orange sauce on it with flower shaped pineapples. I look closer at the flower shapes and notice that they are shaped into a primrose flower, just like my name.

"These are primrose shaped. My father named me Primrose because he used to find them when him and Katniss would-"

I stop because I know I can't share the fact that my father and sisters are hunters ILLEGALLY.

"-be outside of my home, and find them growing everywhere."

"Well, I got them specially made just for you." Effie says.

I smile at the thought that she might even care about me.

"W-w-ell that was v-very s-sweet of you."

"It was nothing. Now, I have to talk to you about the training center tomorrow. You both will be able to train..Uh Haymitch is supposed to be here to explain this but I guess I can tell you.  
You will be there to train in any category or challenge that may come your way in the arena. Now, I warn you not to be intimidated by any of the others, especially the Careers. That is how they get into your heads."

I look at Peeta. He doesn't seem to be alarmed, but I am scared to death.

"You will have 2 days to train, but you shouldn't work in the stations that you are most good at. That way the others won't know your strengths and weaknesses and that way, they won't have control over you. Now get some sleep because you have a BIG BIG BIG day ahead of you!"

Peeta and I get up from the table and walk together to our rooms.

"Well," I say as we approach my room, "I'll see you tomorro-"

And then I'm embraced with a tight hug from Peeta. And we stand there for about five minutes hugging.

"Um, Peeta," I get out, "umm.."

"I'm sorry, it's just that, well I don't know, you remind me so much of your sister."

"Thanks. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Goodnight." He stands at the door until I close it, and I have a good feeling he stands there for even longer.

I wake up in someone else's room. It looks a lot like mine, but different.

_"Hello? H-h-hello?"_

"It's just me honey. You're okay. I had such a great time last night. Did you?" a guy asks me. I can't see him in the shadows surrounding him.

I look around and discover I have no clothes on.

"What happened?"

"You really don't know?"

He brings me an orange drink, and I think it's orange juice.

"Why don't I have on clothes?" I ask the stranger.

"Well," Cato says, "Let's just say it was a wild ride."  
  
I wake up in a panic.

_What was that dream? And why did I have it?_

And I know it seems weird, but I can't help but think that something happened in that dream that I wanted. Something deep that no one could ever take away. A feeling of love for the boy named Cato. But it would never be. And it never could.


End file.
